UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

a 1994 international agreement identifying what parts of the ocean countries control and how. The agreement defines the twelve nautical miles of ocean extending from the coastline as a country’s sovereign territorial waters, waters in which foreign vessels may sail for transit purposes but may not fish, spy, or pollute. Maritime areas beyond territorial waters are international, but UNCLOS does place further restrictions on areas up to 200 nautical miles away from a country’s shoreline.